About Ari Novick, Ph.D. and Staff

Ari Novick, Ph.D. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, NAMA Certified Anger Management Specialist-IV and a professional anger management trainer. He has a Bachelors degree in English Literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara; a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University; and a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from the California Graduate Institute. He started his career in marketing, targeting youths aged 8-18. For eight years of his career, Novick held several sales and marketing positions for companies such as Vans Shoes (NYSE: VANS), The Timberland Company (NASDAQ: TBL) and Skechers USA (NYSE:SKX). Over the last six years, Novick has focused his career in psychology and has a specialization in anger and stress management. Dr. Novick was also an adjunct professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology in 2007.

Several years ago, Dr. Novick started the AJ Novick Group for Anger and Stress Management to meet the demand for these services. With the economy and other environmental factors contributing to the stress of daily life, Novick realized there has been an increased need for resources to manage stress and anger more effectively. Novick founded the AJ Novick Group to meet the needs of our community and to offer quality education and training to individuals who can utilize these skills. Novick has also been trained in drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention, socialization skills, legal awareness, communication and problem solving techniques, conflict management and resolution, assertion training, and is a certified anger management facilitator and trainer.

Novick has made numerous presentations on the subjects of anger management, stress management and empathy. He has been featured on the Discovery Channel and Fox Television. Novick is also a corporate consultant and conducts workshops and seminars for corporations in both the public and private sectors. He is also the co-author of the highly acclaimed book in anger management, "Anger Management for the Twenty-First Century". He is also the co-founder of Century Anger Management, which is one of the leading national training organizations in the field of Anger Management.

Novick has a passion for working with people, and an understanding of the importance for proper communication with in the family, schools, workplace and the community. Novick is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and a previous member of Psi Chi national honor society in Psychology.

Dr. Ari Novick Interviewed

Staff Facilitators

Martine Wehr, J.D.Anger Management Professional and Parent Educator

Martine Wehr has been working with youth and issues concerning families for over 25 years. The spectrum of her experience with youth and families includes teaching elementary school and incarcerated youth, working with autistic children, developing youth fitness programs, creating and directing programs for at risk youth and contributing to a guide for juvenile court judges on special education and juvenile delinquency.Collaborating with a wide variety of community partners has led her to create a unique event geared specifically to help parents of teens find and learn about resources in their community. Side by Side: A Partnership in Parenting is a free conference that brings together elected officials, judicial officers, law enforcement agencies, local school districts, social services and health care, community and faith based and non-profit organizations to provide parents of teenagers with the support resources to support them as they raise their teenagers.

More recently, she has worked with delinquent youth providing diversion programs, co-founding and directing DECISIONS, a legal awareness program for juveniles and their parents. She has also been involved in presenting drug and alcohol educational programs for first time juvenile offenders. Ms. Wehr is an anger management provider for adolescents and adults and parent educator.

Her dedication to youth is reflected in not only her work experience, but her volunteer work, educational achievements and personal values. She has served as a volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and has been a volunteer with the Orange County Probation department since 2003, being nominated for volunteer of the year in 2006. She has provided incarcerated youth with inspirational guest speakers and field trips, including her favorite: taking the youth to opera performances. In addition, Ms. Wehr has provided a street law program to alternative high schools. Ms. Wehr is an advisory board member for Crime Survivors, a nonprofit organization providing support and resources to victims of crime.

Ms. Wehr earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Behavior, Cum Laud, from the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Child Development. She received her Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School as a fellow at the Center for Children’s Rights. As part of her legal education, she was an intern with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Juvenile Services Bureau and three Orange County Superior Court juvenile court judges. She is also a contributing author to the Orange County Juvenile Court Judges Special Education Resource Book and has written Affluence as a Risk Factor for Juvenile Delinquency. During her law school experience she developed several symposia at Whittier Law School focusing on juvenile delinquency and local intervention programs and developed the Children’s Book Drive providing books to children who appear in juvenile court.

Ms. Wehr’s personal values regarding helping youth and families have been an integral part of her life. Her belief that children are always worth our best efforts are reflected in her tireless efforts to support youth and families in our community. She lives in Laguna Niguel with her husband, Dana, their daughter, Hannah and her cat, Puddinhead.

The AJ Novick Group is approved by the Board of Behavioral Sciences as a continuing education provider in the state of California. The AJ Novick Group is additionally approved by the Orange County Probation Department to offer anger management for both adults and adolescents.